CBU speaker addresses the influence of perceptions

Riverside, Calif. (Jan. 18, 2019) – “There is power in perception. In the way we see a circumstance,”
Dr. Jennifer Dickey told a California Baptist University audience on Jan. 17.

Dickey spoke as part of the Culture and Justice Lecture Series for the College of
Behavioral and Social Sciences at CBU. Dickey is a full-time lecturer and the director
of the Global Mission Leadership Initiative at Baylor University.

Dickey, as part of an excise during her lecture, brought in 3D glasses for students
to use. She then instructed the students to interact with each other wearing the glasses.

Dickey then asked the audience what they witnessed during the interactions.

Ultimately, the perception of participants was impaired, Dickey said.

“I think this is the reality of what is happening in our lives. We wear perception
changing things all the time,” Dickey said.

Dickey said it is important to become conscious of how your perceptions are formed.

“What forms your perception of others? You need to become aware of these perceptions,
especially if you are going into an international context,” Dickey said.

Dickey shared a letter she received from an individual she interacted with during
a mission trip to Kenya.

“Volunteers need to come here and understand what we are doing. Let them fit into
what we are already doing; because remember, we were here before them. You are not
coming to find nothing, an empty plate, but people who are living and who have structures.
These structures support us day-to-day,” Dickey recited.

“The letter for me meant—‘please see me,’” Dickey said. “See me for my perseverance,
for my brilliance and my ability to overcome situations. See me for my capacity and
treat me from that perception.”